


Nightmares

by DatoPotato



Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Batfamily (DCU), Nightmares, Whumptober 2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:13:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 481
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26927167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DatoPotato/pseuds/DatoPotato
Summary: Just a super short fic for Whumptober about Alfred and nightmares.
Series: Whumptober 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1963546
Kudos: 3
Collections: Whumptober 2020





	Nightmares

A small boy was crying, sitting in the corner of the room. Alfred stepped carefully over to the boy, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder. The boy turned around, his face twisted in agony, Alfred’s heart broke. The boy turned fully to latch himself onto Alfred, his wails echoing around the mansion. Alfred cursed the vastness of the manor, now empty and hollow feeling. 

The boy continued to mourn and Alfred felt hopelessly useless. There wasn’t anything he could do and that broke his heart over and over, every time the boy cried. Alfred had to keep himself together though, for the boy. He wasn’t sure he could console the child at all. All he could do was hold him, as tightly as possible so he knew he wasn’t alone. Alfred knew it was also to remind himself that the boy was alive, he would be ok, he was hurting but at least he’s alive. 

Then he vanished from Alfred’s arms as he looked around, panic gripping his heart. The scene changed, that same boy grew up but he was so focused on fixing the world, he didn’t see the danger he was putting himself into. Alfred still couldn’t do anything but watch him as he would leave and then come back broken. Alfred would keep his mouth shut though, for the most part, and fix him, again and again. However many times it took. He’d stand by the boy’s side and be there every time he was needed. What else could he do?

The family grew, one person at a time. As happy as Alfred was seeing the boy he raised teaching and guiding others, it continued to break his heart. How could it not, when he had to watch each one of them break themselves over and over again, just as that boy had. Some, he had to watch leave for the last time, and never know. He had to start anticipating that each time someone left, it was for the last time. Every time they left, he dreaded saying goodbye. The times he said goodbye for the last time haunted him. Faces and words constantly in his mind as he watched them face unspeakable dangers. But he couldn’t do anything. Forced to continue to standby, avoiding thinking about whether it was the last time he’d see them.

Faces raced past him, his heart breaking with each pained expression, every wound and sleepless night he watched them all go through. His breath caught as he stared at the growing number of tombstones that materialized in front of him. Each name adding a weight that threatened to crush the poor man under the unbearable burden. And still. He would stand and watch. Even as he felt such immeasurable pain. What else could he do?

He forced his eyes open, no longer interested in the torment his sleep brought him. 


End file.
